WHEREAS, the United States' municipal water systems are among the finest in the world; and

WHEREAS, high quality, safe drinking water is already available at most public locations; and

WHEREAS, mayors are responsible for delivering safe and affordable water to our citizens; and

WHEREAS, local governments invest approximately $43 billion a year for pure drinking water and treating wastewater; and

WHEREAS, US consumers spend more than $11 billion a year on bottled water; and

WHEREAS, bottled water costs more than an equivalent volume of gasoline, equivalent to 1,000 to 10,000 times more than tap water; and

WHEREAS, more than a quarter of bottled water is sourced from municipal tap water; and

WHEREAS, bottled water must travel many miles from the source, resulting in the burning of massive amounts of fossil fuels, releasing CO2 and other pollution into the atmosphere; and

WHEREAS, plastic water bottles are one of the fastest growing sources of municipal waste; and

WHEREAS, in the U.S. the plastic bottles produced for water require 1.5 million barrels of oil per year, enough to generate electricity for 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year; and

WHEREAS, we applaud The US Conference of Mayors for its National City Water Taste Test, which recognizes all of the great work municipal water systems do for its residents on a daily basis, year after year; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The US Conference of Mayors encourage a compilation of information regarding the importance of municipal water and the impact of bottled water on municipal waste.